


The Replacements

by chellerrific



Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-29
Updated: 2013-05-29
Packaged: 2017-12-13 08:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/822251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chellerrific/pseuds/chellerrific
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The torch wasn’t passed so much as yanked away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Replacements

Love’s not really sure what to make of the whole situation, of the man(?) standing before him—he’s heard the term “fox-faced” before but never used quite so literally, or fuzzily. Still, it only takes a few minutes of actual conversation with the guy to convince him the Seventh is in good hands—paws—even if they’re not his.

(He laughs for five straight minutes when he learns the guy’s lieutenant is _that_ old bag’s kid, then begs to be the one to introduce him to Rose—after all, comedy like this is not often found outside the pages of manga.)

* * *

Lisa can hardly believe her eyes, but at the same time, she’s not even remotely surprised. The woman before her, Kyoraku’s new right arm, is that same little girl with the earnest eyes who devoured books the way most children devour candy. She’s Kyoraku’s type, all right, but Lisa knows that to reduce it to that does little Nanao (all grown up) a great disservice.

The first time she sees Kyoraku make a move towards the flirtatious and Nanao responds, lightning-fast, with a sharp tap of her fan to firmly put him back in his place, Lisa smiles. He and her old home are in the best possible hands.

* * *

This is not good, not good at all. The one standing in Mashiro’s place, wearing her badge (Shuhei Hisagi: she says his name over and over, stretching it out and rolling it around on her tongue) is too serious by far, a mini-Kensei with a mini-Kensei tattoo. Two serious guys together is a terrible mix, threatening to undo all her hard work trying to get Kensei to lighten up.

He is cute, but somehow that makes it even more terrible; cute guys shouldn’t be so serious. But when Kensei drags her up off the ground and out of her tantrum, she’s forced to admit that maybe it’ll be okay, as long as she stays close to keep them both off-guard. It’s what she does, after all.

* * *

Hiyori couldn’t possibly care less what that creep Mayuri is up to. She washed her hands of the whole damn institution long ago, and if the others want to go back, fine (it’s not really fine, but fine), but that doesn’t mean _she_ has to have anything further to do with any of them.

So when the strange girl with the empty green eyes actually seeks _her_ out, it takes all of her restraint not to draw Kubikiri Orochi and slice her to ribbons. The girl (Kurotsuchi’s daughter? The possibility is too bizarre and repellant to contemplate at length) says Master Mayuri wants her to come by the division, is longing to see her again. Hiyori scoffs; as if she ever gave a damn about that guy.

It’s true, the strange girl insists. It will break Master Mayuri’s heart if his old subordinate (Hiyori’s hand reflexively goes for the hilt) doesn’t drop by. After all, he’s got Operating Room #1 all cleaned and ready for her.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m always so hesitant about writing these things because of the certainty they’ll turn up in canon at some point, or already have in supplemental material I haven’t had access to (I know there’s a novel out, for one). Anyway, blah blah anal retentive blah, get over it self, it’s fic.
> 
> Hachi sadly exempted from an appearance for obvious reasons.


End file.
